<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unrest by SkylarEQuinn</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25533976">Unrest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarEQuinn/pseuds/SkylarEQuinn'>SkylarEQuinn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sleep [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:47:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,461</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25533976</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarEQuinn/pseuds/SkylarEQuinn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Human AU. Prologue to Sleep. Ivan Braginsky had always been defined as "quiet" and "disturbed", but that never stopped Chun-Yan Wang from befriending him. Between the two was a dynamic that no one else ever truly understood, but neither of them cared about that. As long as she was by his side, Ivan knew everything would be okay.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sleep [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>After many of my readers began to show interest in the backstory to Sleep, I knew I couldn't resist writing a prequel to explain the events that led up to it! Please enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prologue</p><p>11 Years Previous</p><p>Ivan Braginsky clung to his mother’s hand as she walked him into his kindergarten classroom. His cautious eyes took in the room around him. There appeared to be a bit of everything from children playing together to children crying and clinging to their parents. He gulped as he was led over to his desk.</p><p>“You’ll be a good boy and stay here, right?” Anya Braginsky asked her son. “I’ll be here to pick you up the moment it’s over.” She helped her son get situated at his desk before bending down to kiss the top of his head. “Have a good day, sweetheart.”</p><p>He watched his mother exit the room, fighting back the urge to run after her and beg her to take him along. Taking deep breaths, he tried to focus on remaining calm, yet his eyes betrayed him as they began to water. Just as his tears were about to spill over, the little girl next to him reached out and grabbed his hand in both of hers.</p><p>“She’ll come back,” the little girl said, causing Ivan to look over at her. “Until she does, I’ll stay with you, okay?” She smiled, causing Ivan to feel as if everything would be okay. “My name is Chun-Yan! What’s yours?”</p><p>“I’m Ivan Braginsky,” he answered, feeling his lips pull into a smile. He used his free hand to wipe his eyes.  “It’s nice to meet you, Chun-Yan.”</p><p>“Let’s be best friends, okay?” Chun-Yan cocked her head to the side cutely as she beamed at her new friend. “We will have lots of fun together, you’ll see!”</p><p>.</p><p>Two Weeks Later</p><p>“Ivan! Can I help you build your sand castle?” Chun-Yan chirped at recess. After getting the go-ahead from her friend, she dropped to her knees and began pushing sand toward Ivan. “This will be the best sand castle this playground has ever seen!”</p><p>Ivan blushed as he continued constructing it. He was very happy to have the prettiest girl in his class as his best friend. Out of all people, she chose him. He never wanted to let her down. If he were to disappoint her, he was scared that she wouldn’t want to be friends anymore.</p><p>“You sand castle looks stupid,” the class bully commented, standing over them. He had his arms crossed over his chest as he sneered down at Ivan. “And you have to make this girl help you. Can’t you build one on your own?” He raised his foot to kick down the sand castle, Chun-Yan moved to cover it and the bully’s foot smashed into her face instead.</p><p>Horrified, Ivan jumped to his feet. “Why would you do that?!” he shouted. He looked down to see blood trickling out of Chun-Yan’s nose, feeling his anger rising. “Chun didn’t do anything to you! You hurt her!” His foot stomped heavily onto his sand castle, but he didn’t care. That boy hurt Chun-Yan, and that was unforgivable! “I won’t let you get away with hurting my best friend!”</p><p>The bully slowly began to back up in fear. He had never heard Ivan say so many words at one time, and he certainly hadn’t seen him angry before. Seeing this side of Ivan was something his six-year-old mind could have never imagined. It terrified him, rooting him to the spot once he was three paces away.</p><p>Ivan wasted no time in reaching the other boy. He pulled his fist back before driving it straight into the bully’s cheek. “Don’t ever touch her again!” he shouted as he began to pummel the other boy.</p><p>“Ivan, no!” Chun-Yan cried out, jumping to her feet. She ignored the blood dripping onto her shirt and grabbed onto Ivan’s arm, clinging to it with all of her might so he couldn’t hit the other boy with it. “Please stop hitting him! It was my fault!”</p><p>Stunned by her words, Ivan froze. Why was Chun-Yan blaming herself for something that wasn’t her fault? What she said was enough to make him stop, but a teacher had made it to the three children at that exact moment.</p><p>“Do you three care to tell me what happened here?” she demanded, crossing her arms and glaring down at the three. “Ivan, I saw you hit him. Did you hit Chun-Yan, too?”</p><p>Ivan suddenly burst into tears at her accusation. “I would never hit Chun-Yan!” he wailed, scrubbing at his eyes with his hands. “She’s my best friend!” He pointed a shaky finger over to the other boy. “He kicked her in the face and I got mad! Please don’t tell my dad! Please!”</p><p>Chun-Yan hugged him from behind, not noticing that she got her blood on his shirt as well in doing so. “He’s telling the truth! Ivan didn’t hit me!”</p><p>The teacher then corralled the three children inside to the nurse and principal. Though it was proven that the bully had started it, all three children were suspended the next day. And when they came back, two of them were hiding bruises that they were told not to show to anyone or mention.</p><p>.</p><p>Three Years Previous</p><p>Chun-Yan grabbed Ivan’s arm as they walked past their old elementary school, stopping him in his tracks. “Ivan, look! It’s where our friendship started!” She giggled and pointed to the sandbox. “Remember when you beat up that one kid for kicking me in the face! My hero!”</p><p>Ivan scoffed and rolled his eyes. “That kid was such an asshole,” he commented as he continued walking. “Like, for real. Who does that kind of stuff? My sand castle was awesome.”</p><p>“It was the best sand castle!” his best friend agreed as she skipped to catch up with him. “I wonder what ever happened to that kid. We never saw him again after kindergarten. I think his family moved?” She shrugged. “Oh well.” With a sigh, she looked back at the building one more time before they turned the corner. “I wasn’t expecting you to stand up for me like that, though. It was so cool of you.”</p><p>“Yeah, but it got me a reputation of being scary,” he groaned.</p><p>“I don’t think you’re scary, Ivan,” Chun-Yan commented, smiling. “You’re just misunderstood by others. You are actually one of the most amazing people I know!” She beamed up at him. “When we start high school next week, I’m sure you’ll make more friends! We’re going to have a lot of fun together!”</p><p>“You sure you won’t make better friends than me?”</p><p>“Hey, don’t say something stupid like that!” she huffed, punching his arm. “As if I’d ever ditch you for other people! We’ve been besties for how long now? That’d be really shitty of me!” Chun-Yan jumped onto Ivan’s back, barely giving him any time to catch her. “No, Ivan, you’re stuck with me forever! After all, sandbox love never dies!”</p><p>“Lucky me,” he sarcastically commented, rolling his eyes to add effect as Chun-Yan laughed. Though he outwardly behaved that way, he knew that Chun-Yan knew the truth. She was his best friend in the whole world. If she didn’t know how much he truly adored and appreciated her, then she wouldn’t be worthy of that position.</p><p>Neither of them knew what high school would bring, but as long as they had each other, it would all be okay.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Present Day</p><p>Ivan spit on the shoes of the football player pinning him against the wall. His cheek was swollen from the blow to the face he had taken, but the fire in his eyes was only growing. He clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists. “I said to take it back,” he snarled out. His fist suddenly crashed into the other boy’s jaw. “Take it back!” he roared.</p><p>The football player raised his fist to strike the other boy again, but someone behind him caught it. He turned around to look at whomever was holding his arm back. His eyes narrowed upon seeing it was none other than the quarterback, Alfred Jones.</p><p>“Leave him alone,” the quarterback commanded. “You don’t want to get caught fighting, do you? Coach will kick you off the team for sure if he finds out, and if you hit him again, I’ll be the one who tells him. Now lay off and beat it.”</p><p>“You don’t scare me, Jones,” the other guy growled, narrowing his eyes at the other boy. “You’re just a snitch anyway. You, and that loser brother of yours. Do you think you own the school or something? Also, why do you care what happens to this guy? Do you even know him?”</p><p>“I thought you had a thing for Chun-Yan,” Alfred commented. “Didn’t you know that he’s her best friend? They’re kinda like a package deal, you know. If she finds out you did this, she’ll hate you forever.”</p><p>“Him having a thing for Chun-Yan?!” Ivan roared. “Give me a break! He was talking shit about her!” He tried to lunge at the football player, but Alfred blocked him. “Get out of the way, Alfred! This guy needs to be taught a lesson! He was bitching to all of his friends that Chun-Yan doesn’t ‘put out’, and I need to shut that mouth of his for good!”</p><p>The quarterback turned to his fellow teammate, glaring. “Dude, what the fuck? Why would you ever say something like that about her? That’s not right at all.” He turned to his teammate and cracked his knuckles. “What do you say I let Ivan finish pummeling you and then deal with you myself?”</p><p>A wicked grin made its presence known on Ivan’s face as Alfred stepped aside to let him through. “Let’s see how much you’ll be able to talk when I’m done with you,” he growled, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. “Her name will never leave your lips again after this, I can promise you that much.”</p><p>Just as he was about to throw a punch, none other than Chun-Yan Wang rounded the corner and froze, taking in the scene that quickly unfolded before her. “Ivan!” she squeaked, running to his side. Her hand reached up and cupped his cheek, slowly turning his head to examine the bruise that was slowly forming on his face. “What happened to you? Who did this?” She immediately rounded upon the two football players, fire in her eyes. “Alright, which one of you was it?” she asked, her usual happy-go-lucky charm quickly forgotten at seeing the state of her best friend.</p><p>“Dude, Chun, I swear it wasn’t me,” Alfred quickly said. “I was trying to break up the fight. When I came here, John looked as if he were about to punch Ivan.” He cast a devilish smirk in the other football player’s direction as Chun-Yan’s glare shifted over to him as well. “Ivan was just defending you in your absence.”</p><p>Chun-Yan blinked her dark eyes in surprise. “Defending me?” She looked up at Ivan for an answer. “What were you defending me for, Ivan? What happened?”</p><p>Knowing he was screwed the moment she found out what he’d said, John made an attempt to sneak away while she was distracted, but Alfred caught him by the collar of his shirt. “Where do you think you’re going, bro?” the blond asked him. “I don’t think she’s done speaking to you just yet. Give it a moment, okay? You should just hear her out, just like any decent man would.”</p><p>“You went on a date with him on Saturday, right?” Ivan asked his friend, frowning when she confirmed it. “Well this guy right here was complaining to some of his buddies that you don’t put out and that taking you out was a waste of time. I didn’t like him saying that about you, so I called him out and this is what he did to me.” He pointed to the bruise on his face. “You shouldn’t go out with people like that if they’re just going to do this shit to you afterwards. I don’t like that.”</p><p>She fought back the tears forming in her eyes as she looked over at John. “Y-You really said that?” she quietly asked, sniffling. Chun-Yan scrubbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “Why would you do something like that? You told me you didn’t expect anything from me, and then you went on to complain about me to your friends. That’s so messed up!” Her face was streaked with tears and makeup as she brought her arm back down to her side. “Why would you do that to me? What did I ever do to you?”</p><p>“I just…” John’s voice trailed off as he tried to think of what to say to console her. It was true that he had said those things, but he more or less said them because that’s what the guys in the locker room wanted to hear. But how could he even  begin to explain something like that?</p><p>Alfred sighed and turned to Ivan. “Mind if I take him to the coach myself?” he asked, gaining a simple nod in return. He then turned to the other male present. “Let’s go, John. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”</p><p>Ivan watched as the two football players walked off in the direction of the locker rooms, Alfred more-or-less dragging John with him. He decided that despite being popular and all, the blond really was a good guy if he cared about Chun-Yan that much. He felt happy to know that his best friend had another strong ally like him.</p><p>“Why are boys so mean, Ivan?” she sighed, frowning up at him. “I just don’t understand it. What do they gain from speaking so horribly about us girls like that?”</p><p>“They just think too hard with the wrong head,” he replied, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he wiped away her mascara streaks with his thumbs. “I’m sorry that he did such a thing, Chun. It was completely uncalled for.” Ivan pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back gently. “You don’t owe him anything, Chun. Never ever think that you do. I won’t tell you that boys will be boys, because that’s not the case and we both know that. What he did was cruel, and you didn’t deserve that.”</p><p>“C-Can you take me to Mr. Williams’s office?” she finally squeaked out, clutching his shirt tightly. “I want to talk to him, but who knows what boys heard that rumor?” Chun-Yan pulled away from Ivan, eyes wide. “What if that rumor spreads towards the middle school?” she worried. “I don’t want my little brother to hear something like that! What would Leon think?”</p><p>Ivan fought back the smile that threatened to play on his lips. It was just like Chun-Yan to worry about her brother hearing some baseless rumor, but he knew her fear behind it. After all, she wasn’t allowed to go on dates, and if her father somehow got wind of it, there would be hell to pay. He had to make sure that word of it didn’t spread outside of the high school. And after walking Chun-Yan to the counselor’s office, he decided to confront the source itself.</p><p>.</p><p>“Chun-Yan, what brings you to my office today?” Matthew Williams asked, gesturing for her to sit in one of the plush chairs across his desk from him. “You seem upset. What happened?”</p><p>She sat down in the chair and balled her hands into fists in her lap, glaring down at them. “M-Mr. Williams,” she began, “someone said something terrible about me and then tried to beat up Ivan when he was confronted about it…” Her eyes overflowed with tears once again. “I don’t know why people have to be so mean, Mr. Williams. If your brother hadn’t stepped in, Ivan might’ve gotten even more hurt than he already is…”</p><p>“Al helped you?” Matthew asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice. He never pegged his brother as the type to stick his neck out for someone else. “I’m glad to hear that. If you don’t mind me asking, what was said about you?”</p><p>“This past weekend, I went out on a date with John Evans on the football team,” she slowly replied, refusing to look up from her lap. “My father is against me dating anyone, so I had to lie about what I was doing. I had a lot of fun, and I thought John did too, but apparently I was wrong. This morning, in the locker room, I found out that he was complaining to the other boys on the football team about how I don’t,” her voice lowered significantly, “put out.”</p><p>The counselor’s eyes grew wide in shock. “Oh, my God,” he muttered. “Chun-Yan, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry that someone did something like that to you. That’s so cruel. Are you okay? Do you want me to take this to the principal?”</p><p>“Word travels fast in high school,” Chun-Yan stated. “I don’t want this getting out, Mr. Williams. If it makes it to the middle school and my brother hears it, he might tell my father, and that’s the last thing I want…”</p><p>“I’ll see what I can do,” Matthew replied, sighing. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through something like that. If there’s anything I can do as a person in authority, please let me know. John’s behavior is completely unacceptable, and I won’t let it go unnoticed.”</p><p>“Alfred dragged him to the coach right before I came here.”</p><p>“That won’t do anything,” the counselor scoffed. “That man does nothing more than give them a slap on the wrist and send them back. If you’re alright with it, I’d rather take something like this to Headmaster Beilschmidt. Things like that won’t be tolerated in this school, and I’m sorry that it happened to you. I want to try to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. Would you allow me to? I don’t have to use your name or anything.”</p><p>“Please,” Chun-Yan said after a moment. “Please tell him. I don’t know if I’d like my name used, though. If you could keep my identity a secret, then I have no problems with you talking to him about it.” Her mouth pulled into a frown. “The last thing I would want is him contacting my father over this, whether it’s for my benefit or not.”</p><p>“I’ll be sure to keep it anonymous,” Matthew assured. “You seem to have calmed down some. Would you like a few more moments to center yourself before returning to class?”</p><p>She smiled with relief, looking in the mirror on his desk and fixing up her appearance. “You know, I think you just might be one of the only adults in this school who actually gets it, Mr. Williams. Thank you. You’re a lot of help, and I appreciate you.”</p><p>“Hearing those words makes me feel that I’ve done my job right, Chun-Yan,” he simply replied.</p><p>.</p><p>“Hey Leon, you heard what they’re saying about your sister, right?” Natalia Arlovskaya asked the boy who sat in front of her, poking his shoulder repeatedly. “I don’t think it’s right, and you should probably shut them up.”</p><p>Leon Wang closed the book he was reading and swiveled in his seat to look back at Natalia. “What are they saying? Chun isn’t the type to do anything suggestive, so it’s probably just a baseless rumor anyway.”</p><p>“They’re saying she went on a date with one of the guys on the football team, gave him blue balls, and then just left,” the girl replied. “From what I know about your sister, she really doesn’t seem the type, you know? Chun-Yan always struck me as friendly, but not exactly flirty. Maybe it’s just a big misunderstanding or something.”</p><p>Leon turned back to face forward in his chair. “That’s it?” he asked, almost disappointed that it wasn’t something juicier. “It’s definitely a misunderstanding. My sister isn’t even allowed to date anyway. Don’t read too much into it.” He opened his book back up and stared down at the page, trying to force himself to read. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder how gossip like that was considered even remotely important enough to leak into a completely different school.</p><p>“Students, please quiet down!” the teacher announced, walking into the classroom. “Today, we have a new student here with us. He just moved here last week, and I want you all to be kind to him, okay? Introduce yourself.”</p><p>When Leon looked up, there was a boy with silvery-hair and a nervous smile on his face standing in front of the classroom. He was short and pale, but he looked as if he held himself well. And those violet eyes were so beautiful that the other boy couldn’t look away. How fortunate to have such a beautiful person in his class.</p><p>“Hello,” the boy said, voice thick with a Scandinavian accent, “my name is Emil Steilsson. I just moved here from Norway. I’m pleased to meet you all.” His eyes pleaded up at the teacher to just let him go and sit down.</p><p>“Thank you, Emil,” the teacher stated, nodding to him. “I’d like you to go and take a seat behind Natalia over there. Natalia, raise your hand, please, so he knows where to go.”</p><p>Leon heard Natalia shift in her desk behind him and forced himself to drop his eyes back into his book, too nervous to look at Emil as he passed by. His heart was pounding in his chest as he heard the careful footsteps pass him, and he felt as if he were going to explode. He’d had crushes many times in his life, but never one like this. This was something beyond a crush. Could it be love at first sight, or was that far too cheesy? Either way, Leon had trouble focusing in class for the rest of the day, knowing that Emil was only two seats behind him.</p><p>.</p><p>Chun-Yan pulled her car into the pick-up lane at the middle school and patiently waited for Leon. She looked over at Ivan and sighed. “I really hope that my dad doesn’t hear about that rumor at school today,” she groaned. “He’ll kill me!”</p><p>Ivan frowned at her choice of words, knowing that they weren’t too far off the mark for someone like Yao Wang. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and he won’t even be home by the time you get there,” he suggested.</p><p>“Hopefully,” she sighed as Leon got into the back seat of the car.</p><p>After dropping Ivan off at his house, she drove herself and her brother home, noticing their father’s car in the driveway. Her heart nearly stopped as she pulled her keys from the ignition. Hopefully he didn’t know that she had gone on a date. If he knew, she didn’t want to think about what he’d do.</p><p>She nervously stepped into the house, long after Leon had already entered. With a cautious deep breath, she closed the front door and was instantly intercepted by her father, fire in his eyes. Chun-Yan felt a hand around her throat as she was pinned to the wall by him. Knowing it was useless to struggle for air, she tried to relax her body, fighting down the urge to pry his hands off of her.</p><p>Yao’s hand came down on his daughter’s cheek, a loud slap echoing through the entryway of the house. His grip around her neck tightened as he growled out, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out that you went out behind my back?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chun-Yan choked against her father’s grip. Her vision was beginning to go dark around the edges. She knew that she had to hang in there, knowing that it would only get worse if she lost consciousness. Her eyes filled with tears as Yao continued yelling, the smell of liquor on his breath.</p><p>“Rules are set in place for a reason, Chun-Yan!” he shouted, releasing her throat long enough for her to gulp in some air before tightening his grip once again. “And yet you choose to disobey them! I got a call from your school, saying that men are slandering our family name after you went on a date with one! Did you think I wouldn’t find out about you dating behind my back?!”</p><p>“I’m….sorry….” she choked out, instinctively bringing her hands up to try to pry his off.</p><p>“And you think a simple apology will fix this?! Why can’t you be an obedient child like your brother?! I don’t know where you got this rebellious streak, but it needs to stop!” With a mighty shove, he threw her to the ground. “You have five minutes to pack a bag and leave for the night! I don’t want someone like you here! And don’t come back until I tell you that you can!”</p><p>Chun-Yan scurried to her feet and bolted to her room, tears streaming down her cheeks. What had she done in a past life to deserve this? Her father never behaved this way toward her brother, just her! She had suspicions that it was because she looked like her mother, who had left them a few years back, but there was no way to be certain about it. Despite not being able to bring herself to hate Leon, she couldn’t help but resent him for the way their father treated him.</p><p>Her father waited in the entryway of the house for her to come down, tapping his foot impatiently on the linoleum. He glared at her as she approached, duffel bag in hand. “Three days,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to see your face for three days. You are not to come here. You are not to talk to Leon. You are not to disobey my rules I’ve set for you. Is that understood?”</p><p>Knowing better than to speak aloud, and also painfully aware of the dark bruises forming on her neck, Chun-Yan simply nodded and left the house, throwing a light and fashionable scarf around her neck. And only once she was out of view of her house did she finally allow herself to cry before heading off toward Ivan’s house.</p><p>.</p><p>Ivan answered his phone the moment he saw his best friend’s number pop up. He could tell by the shakiness in her voice that her father had kicked her out of the house again. His mother had been welcoming her into their house on these occasions since they had started around five years before. It made him angry that her father would do these things, but what made him even more angry was the dark marks on her body that she tried to hide.</p><p>While Chun-Yan had never flat-out told him that her father had left those marks on her, it didn’t take much to put two-and-two together. After all, back before Ivan’s father’s fatal accident, Ivan usually had bruises on his skin that matched his friend’s.</p><p>He put a kettle on the stove before going to let Chun-Yan in. Ivan tried not to think about how she practically threw herself into his arms at the front door, sobbing into his chest. In moments like these, he tried not to notice how much smaller than normal she seemed. Sure, Chun-Yan was much smaller than Ivan on a good day, but on days when she cried like this, she seemed almost like a child.</p><p>“I put some tea on,” he offered once she had calmed down a bit. “Would you like to have some?” A small smile played on his lips when she nodded, the fabric of his shirt still held in an iron grip. “Let’s go inside then. What flavor would you like today?”</p><p>“Apple cinnamon,” she quietly said, voice a bit raspy. Chun-Yan slowly let go and looked up at him, scrubbing her face with the palm of her hand. “I’m going to go and put my stuff in your room, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen, okay?”</p><p>Ivan nodded and moved aside so she could enter his home. He shut the door after them and went to the kitchen to finish the tea, hearing the kettle whistling on his way in. His hands moved in swift and practiced motions as he poured the water into the mugs and inserted the tea bags before covering them to steep. He sat down at the table with the mugs and patiently waited for his friend to come and join him.</p><p>Chun-Yan entered the kitchen a few minutes later and sat down across from Ivan. “Thanks, bestie,” she said, taking the cover off of the top of the mug. She forced a small smile to him as she took a careful sip. “Ah, my favorite! It’s always so much better when you make it!”</p><p>“Really?” he laughed, trying not to notice her forced behaviors. “All I do is boil water and put tea bags in. It’s not really anything special, Chun.”</p><p>She giggled and took another sip. “Well, either way, it’s better than the tea I drink at home.” Her smile slipped into a frown. “Maybe it’s because tea always tastes better with friends.” Chun-Yan dropped her gaze down into her mug as she pulled her lips into a smile once more. “Thank you, Ivan. You always know exactly what to do to make me feel better.”</p><p>“I’d like to say I picked up on a few things in the past decade or so,” he teased as he took a sip of his own tea. The peppermint tingled against his lips as he smiled, taking another sip. “So, uh, how many days is it this time, if you don’t mind me asking? Just so I can tell my mom, you know.”</p><p>“Dad said it’s three days this time,” she sighed. “Who knows if he’ll extend it, though.” Chun-Yan blinked back tears. “He found out about the date and what happened at school. I trust that Mr. Williams didn’t rat me out, but it wouldn’t take much digging for Headmaster Beilschmidt to find out who the two students were. Anyway, he called my dad, and I got thrown out the moment I got home. Luckily, I still got to take my car with me, but it’s still fucked up. You know, I bet it’s because I look like my mom. He doesn’t do this sort of thing to Leon. What makes my little brother so much more important than me? I just don’t get it.”</p><p>“You should be in a place where you’re appreciated, Chun,” Ivan replied. He frowned in concern, combing his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You’re always welcome here, but I know it’s not like being in your own home.”</p><p>“By this point, I’d almost say that your house is my real home,” she joked, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. “I’m here more often than I’m not lately. I might as well just move in.” Chun-Yan forced a laugh as she took another sip. “I don’t even know why I’m upset about this, since it’s so common. Honestly, you and your mother feel more like family to me than my own. I suppose that just because you share blood with people, it doesn’t mean they’ll love you back…”</p><p>“Family doesn’t always mean blood,” he answered with a frown. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re my sister, Chun. You’ve been my sister since our sandbox days. I wouldn’t know what else to call you at this point.”</p><p>Chun-Yan was quiet for a moment as she stared pensively into her mug. “You’re right, Ivan,” she finally said, a genuine smile playing on her lips. “You really are my brother. I don’t think I’d ever be able to refer to you as anything else.” She reached her hand across the table and grabbed his. “I don’t think words will ever be able to convey how important and precious you truly are to me. I always feel that as long as I have you by my side, everything will be okay. Thank you for that.”</p><p>The boy squeezed his best friend’s small hand in his. “Always, Chun-Yan. You’re just as important to me. I’ll always be here for you. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, so don’t even try to fuck around and find out.”</p><p>She put a hand to her mouth to keep from spitting her tea out as she giggled at his words. “Don’t worry,” she laughed. “I won’t.” Once she had calmed down, she smiled widely at him. “Thank you for always knowing just what I need. You truly are the greatest friend I’ve ever had.”</p><p>.</p><p>Leon Wang sat on his bed in his room. He heard his father shouting as the front door slammed. Knowing his sister was safely out of the house, he let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He didn’t find it fair that Chun-Yan was always getting yelled at and hit while he was practically on a pedestal. And though she claimed she didn’t hate him whenever he asked, he could still tell that he was the bane of her existence.</p><p>With a sigh, he stood up and walked over to his computer desk, booting it to life as he sat. He was still curious about that new kid in his class and wondered if he had any social media or anything that he could follow. All he wanted was to learn about Emil. After all, it wasn’t every day when a really attractive boy transferred into you middle school class and made your heart skip a beat with only a glance.</p><p>Finding Emil on social media was easy, though he didn’t seem to post much. The things he posted were usually memes and the occasional selfie. But those selfies made Leon’s jaw drop as he clicked on them. Some were pictures of Emil at the gym with a spikey-haired person whom he claimed was his brother, though they didn’t really look related. Others were him in front of statues or beautiful scenery with a man who looked similar to him, whom he also claimed was his brother. And then he saw a picture of Emil looking annoyed as he crouched down between his brothers, who were kissing above his head, the caption being about how he hated being a third wheel.</p><p>Leon became more and more fascinated as he scrolled further back on each timeline. He couldn’t help but notice that he posted different things to different accounts, but some of the more important posts still matched up. His heart rate skyrocketed when he came across a picture of Emil winking and blowing a kiss to the camera. He felt as if that picture was directed to him, even if it was nearly two years old. </p><p>To say that Leon was smitten with Emil would be quite the understatement. Something about the Scandinavian boy captivated him, yet he couldn’t help but be intimidated as well. How would he ever be able to hold a conversation with someone so fantastic? Would his nerves ever allow him to say even two words to Emil?</p><p>Fighting back those thoughts, he continued to scroll all the way to the ends of his social media timelines, concocting plans of befriending him.</p><p>.</p><p>Chun-Yan sighed as she laid beside Ivan in his bed. She stared up at the ceiling as he scrolled through social media on his phone. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, though she knew that she should be used to it by now. It made her upset that she got kicked out of her own home, and even with the warmth and love she always received at her best friend’s house, she just wished she could feel it in her own. She just didn’t understand why her father didn’t love her. What had she done wrong? Or was it really because of something she couldn’t help?</p><p>“Something bothering you, Chun?” Ivan asked, turning his attention to her. “You’ve been really quiet over there and have just been staring at the ceiling for the past five minutes. Is there anything I can do for you?”</p><p>“Is there?” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Ivan. Even though I’m used to this treatment from my father, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. I’m always wondering what it was I ever did to him to deserve this, you know? It’s just been rough ever since Mom left, and it’s obvious that Dad favors Leon. While I know that’s not his fault, I can’t help but hold a grudge against him for it. Why does he get away with literally everything, whereas if I even fucking breathe wrong, I get his wrath? What did I do? Is it really because I look like my mother?”</p><p>“Who is to say?” her best friend sighed, turning his phone screen off as he stared up at the ceiling as well. “I know that though you are family in my home, it’s not the same as your blood family. And while I hate that your dad sucks, I can still understand why you’re still trying so hard to seek his approval. I was like that with my dad too. Sometimes I feel like I still am.” He laughed bitterly. “Like, I feel that if maybe I get enough attention from those around me, my dad will see that I’m not the worthless son he thought I was.”</p><p>“You’re not worthless, Ivan,” Chun-Yan softly said, rolling over onto her side to face him. “You are one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. You love strongly, and with all of your heart. You fight back for those who can’t. And if your kindness is what made you worthless in his eyes, then I’d hate to see what he finds worthwhile.”</p><p>Ivan rolled over to face her as well. “You really think so?”</p><p>“I know so,” she assured, ruffling his platinum-blond hair. “People may not understand you now, but I promise that one day they will. You are, without a doubt, the kindest person I’ve ever met in my life. I doubt I’ll ever meet anyone more loving than you, Ivan. I truly mean it. Screw everyone who doesn’t understand you. Sometimes, I don’t ever want them to understand because what if they take you away from me?”</p><p>He scoffed. “Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen.”</p><p>“Well you never know,” she replied with a frown. “God knows I’m dreading the day you get a girlfriend. Once that happens, I’ll be forcibly removed from the picture. I’ll lose my place as the one who is always beside you.”</p><p>“I highly doubt that,” he laughed. “If I ever get a girlfriend, she’ll just have to accept that we are a package deal. If she can’t, then she’s not right for me anyway. Chun-Yan, you don’t ever have to worry about things like that. You should know by now that I’m not the type to do stupid things just to get laid.”</p><p>Chun-Yan giggled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Besides, I don’t ever see you having a girlfriend anyway.”</p><p>“Hey now, that’s just cold!” Ivan rolled over so his back was facing her, biting his lip to keep from laughing.</p><p>She sat up and draped herself across him so she could see his face. “Oh, come on, you know I’m just kidding! Any girl would be lucky to have a boyfriend like you! It’s not my fault they only like boys who will hurt them. I know you, Ivan. And I know for a fact that you’d never hurt anyone. You’re a gentle giant.”</p><p>“I suppose so,” he agreed with a nod, smiling to himself. Who cared if anyone would ever understand him or not? As long as Chun-Yan was around, he didn’t need anyone else.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Chun Yan drove them to school, making sure to stop by her own home to pick up Leon at the end of the driveway. She made sure to follow through with her duty of transporting her brother to and from school, not wanting to give her father any more reason to be angry with her. Yet when she and Ivan reached the high school parking lot and parked, she clutched the steering wheel tightly in her hands as tears poured down her cheeks.</p><p>“Why, Ivan?” she softly asked, voice shaking with her quiet sobs. “Why does everything have to be so hard for me? Why can’t I live an easy life? Does God have it out for me or something? I just don’t understand. What did I ever do wrong? Was I really that shitty of a person in a past life? I just don’t understand.”</p><p>“Chun, look at me,” her best friend softly commanded. And only once her eyes were on him, did he speak again. “You didn’t do anything wrong. None of this is your fault. I know that there’s a saying that things happen for a reason, and I know you’re not going through all of this for nothing. Once you graduate high school, you’ll never have to answer to anyone again. We will get the apartment we’ve been planning to get since middle school, and everything will be so much better, you’ll see.”</p><p>She took a deep breath to collect herself before wiping her face on her sleeve. “You’re right, Ivan. What am I doing right now? Instead of hating myself, maybe I should work on forgiving myself. It really wasn’t my fault, and I need to remember that.” Chun Yan leaned her head on Ivan’s shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. “Where would I be without you, Ivan? God, I’m so glad that I have you.”</p><p>Ivan smiled to himself. “I’m sure you’d be just fine, but thank you,” he assured. He could never bring himself to openly acknowledge how great her words of praise toward him really felt. Instead, he always opted to play it off as if she were just giving him meaningless compliments. But deep down, he knew that she knew how much those words meant to him. “Classes will start soon. We should go inside.”</p><p>She took one more shaky breath before opening the door on her side. “Yeah,” she agreed with a rough nod. “We should. I don’t need Headmaster Beilschmidt telling my dad anything else.” She glanced nervously into the rearview mirror and adjusted the thin scarf she had around her neck, making sure it was hiding the bruises. “Let’s go, Ivan.”</p><p>.</p><p>Ivan spent the first half of his school day worrying about Chun Yan. He knew that she was the queen of putting on facades, and he wouldn’t see her until lunch and the last class of the day, which they shared. It made him nervous to be leaving her alone with anyone else until lunch. After all, he was the only friend she had who knew what went on behind closed doors at her house. Everyone else just assumed her father was strict, like that stereotypical Asian parents they saw on TV. Ivan was the only one who knew the truth.</p><p>As he was passing the girls’ restroom on his way to meet up with Chun Yan in the cafeteria, he felt a hand reach out and grab him, pulling him in. Forcing himself to remain silent, he looked toward his assailant to see that it was none other than Chun Yan herself. She looked tired and panic-stricken as she clutched his jacket.</p><p>“Some girl saw a part of the bruises,” she weakly told him, tears forming in her eyes. “Since she only saw the top of the bruises, I was able to pass it off a hickey. But then she started ‘guessing’ who it was, and your name was mentioned. Everyone already thinks we’re secretly dating anyway, so they started saying you did it, and it makes me sick. I don’t want your name coming up in hallway gossip. You don’t deserve that sort of thing. But they wouldn’t believe me when I told them that it wasn’t you.” Her tears finally spilled over. “I’m sorry, Ivan! I’m so sorry! I tried to stop it, and I understand if you’re upset since you’re the type to keep a low profile. God, I hope it doesn’t get back to my dad!”</p><p>Ivan wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. “I’m not mad, Chun. You did what you could. Let people at school think what they want. It’s not true, so what harm will it really do in the long run? I’m sorry that people think they need something to talk about all the time. It’s like they don’t even understand what friends are or something. I’m not worried about it, Chun. After all, we both know what’s true.”</p><p>Chun Yan buried her face in his chest as she calmed down. She could smell his cologne, the scent relaxing her. This scent meant that she was safe. Nothing bad would ever happen to her when Ivan was around. He was her safehouse. To her, he was the only person she could ever truly be herself with, and she loved him for it. She truly did love Ivan and the way he made her feel, yet those feelings needed to stay tucked deep inside of her heart. After all, if she were to acknowledge her love for her best friend, then she would no longer have her safehouse. And she would rather feel safe than fall in love.</p><p>“I’ll fix this,” she softly told him. “Before lunch break is over, I’ll have it all taken care of. Trust me on it.”</p><p>“It’s not really that big of a deal,” he began, but she pinched his lips shut.</p><p>“No one is going to be spreading shit about you, got it? I don’t like that.” Once she was sure he understood, she headed toward the bathroom door. “Let me check if the coast is clear for you to come out.” Chun Yan stepped out into the hallways to see it was empty. “Come on out, Ivan.” She turned and looked up at him once he was out and smiled. “I’m going to go and take care of this. Make sure you eat well, okay?” And with that, she was gone.</p><p>.</p><p>Alfred Jones sat on the wall in the courtyard, texting on his phone, as Gilbert Beilschmidt walked up to him. He turned the phone screen off and smiled up at his friend. “Hey man, what’s good?” he asked, moving over to make room for the albino. “We still on for that co-op tonight? Wanna make sure so I can do my homework before then.”</p><p>“Duh,” Gilbert laughed, hopping up onto the wall. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack in his backpack, carefully lighting it. “Does seven work for you?” He took a puff and passed it toward the jock. “It’ll be a couple hours, you know.”</p><p>The blond accepted the cigarette, taking a puff and handing it back. “Yeah, that works for me.”</p><p>“Are you two really out here doing this in broad daylight?” an accented voice asked them from behind. Alfred knew that British accent anywhere. Arthur Kirkland, the composition teacher stood beside Alfred on the other side of the wall, leaning over it as he lit his own cigarette. “You’re lucky I don’t write you up for this.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Gilbert taunted as the boy between them turned a deep shade of scarlet. “You snitch, then I snitch, Kirkland.” A smirk played on his lips as the teacher rolled his eyes in agreement.</p><p>“Neither of us saw anything, understood?” Arthur asked, leveling a stare toward Gilbert.</p><p>“You got it.”</p><p>Alfred hated how easily he blushed around this teacher. Though he would never dare tell anyone in his friend group about his interest in men, he couldn’t help but feel weak around Mr. Kirkland. After all, he had been crushing on him since his first day of freshman year. There was only one other person who knew about this crush, and that was Chun Yan Wang. She had stumbled upon a very flustered Alfred one day after being called into Arthur’s classroom for some lecturing on his grades, but she swore to keep it a secret, telling him about her unrequited love in exchange.</p><p>The moment he thought of her, she appeared before him, smiling up toward him. “Can you come down from there, Alfie?” she sweetly asked, batting her eyes at him. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.” It was almost as if she were completely unfazed by a teacher allowing two students to smoke with him on school grounds, as if it were a common thing to happen there.</p><p>Ignoring Gilbert’s instant razzing upon being approached by one of the cutest girls in school, Alfred hopped down, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He was grateful to get away from Arthur so he could stop blushing. “Sure thing,” he said, leading Chun Yan away. “Was I that obvious?” he asked once they were alone in a corner of the courtyard.</p><p>“I mean kinda,” she replied with a shrug. “But that’s not what this is about. Look, long story short, I may or may not have a hickey on my neck, and everyone may or may not be suspecting Ivan for it. So I want to ask a favor of you.”</p><p>“You want me to go along with you and say I did it?” he flatly asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He scoffed when she nodded. “And people say my one-sided love is bad,” he teased, laughing when she averted her gaze while turning a deep scarlet. “I swear it’s not that noticeable in your case, Chun. I only notice because I know.” After a moment or two of silence between the two, he sighed. “I’ll say I did it if anyone brings it up to me. After all, aren’t we technically doing each other a favor with this? I mean, you’re one of the most popular girls in school. It’ll definitely help people keep believing that I’m straight.”</p><p>She smiled up at him. “It’s a deal then!” she giggled before standing on her tip-toes and kissing his cheek in gratitude. “You’re the best, Alfie!” With a quick wave, she was gone once again, leaving him alone with his fingertips pressed to where she had kissed him.</p><p>“That girl,” he sighed, smiling to himself. “She’s definitely one of a kind.”</p><p>.</p><p>By the time his final class had come around, word had spread around the school about Alfred Jones giving Chun Yan a hickey, leaving Ivan feeling relieved for her. She had definitely followed through with what she had told him and greeted him with a happy smile as she sat down next to him at the table they shared for their study hall.</p><p>“Didn’t I say I’d take care of it?” she confidently told him, setting her bag on the table. “When I say I’ll get something done, it’ll get done.” She held her hand up for a high-five, grinning when Ivan slapped his palm against hers. “This girl knows what she’s doing.”</p><p>“Yet you still texted me for help on your math homework?” he teased, smirking at her. “I thought you knew what you were doing.”</p><p>“Shut up!” she huffed at him, causing the teacher in charge to shush her. She giggled quietly as she got out her math homework. “But will you please help me? I mean, you seem to know what you’re doing in math, right, Ivan?” Chun Yan cast him her most charming smile. “I just really don’t want to fail this class and have to drop out of cheerleading.”</p><p>“So the truth finally comes out,” he taunted, pulling the homework closer to him. “Yeah, I’ll help you, Chun. But only since you’re humbling yourself and asking nicely.”</p><p>Just as Chun Yan scooted closer to Ivan, one of the other girls from the cheer squad sat down across from her, a wide smile plastered to her face. “So, word gets around quickly,” she began, tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the table. “When were you planning on telling me that you’re sleeping with Al Jones?”</p><p>“I’m not, Frankie,” Chun Yan groaned, rolling her eyes. “Who cares if he and I made out and things got a little frisky? It doesn’t mean anything. Come on, even you know that much about make-out etiquette.”</p><p>Francine Bonnfoy rolled her blue eyes and began twirling her dirty-blonde hair around her finger. “So, spill it,” she said. “Is Al a good kisser?”</p><p>“Could we not?” the other girl groaned, gesturing emphatically to the math homework in front of Ivan. “I’m trying to get some homework done. Ivan’s kind enough to lend me his time to help. We’ll talk later.”</p><p>“I don’t get you,” Francine replied, standing up. “Why would you blow off your best friend for a nobody like him? I get that he’s your childhood friend and all, but all he’s going to end up doing is dragging you down.” Her eyes glared icy daggers toward Ivan. “After all, you know what everyone says about him.” With a huff, she turned on her hell and sashayed away.</p><p>Chun Yan clenched her fists, staring down at the table before her. “Ignore her, Ivan,” she ground out. “Frankie doesn’t understand, and she refuses to. There’s no way I’d ever call her my best friend. We only went shopping together, like, twice.” Her body began to tremble. “Why can’t everyone just get off your case? What happened two years ago wasn’t your fault, and we all know it. So why won’t they just stop?”</p><p>“It’s fine, Chun,” he assured. “I know what people say. Most of them will say it directly to my face, you know? It doesn’t mean that they’re right about it. I wouldn’t worry so much about what people like them have to say. Their words mean nothing to me.” He picked up his pencil and looked down at her homework sheet. “Now, about this math homework…”</p><p>.</p><p>“So you’ve got the hots for Chun Yan now?” Francine asked Alfred, leaning against his locker after school. “When did that start happening?” She inspected her nails as she waited for him to reply, a bored expression on her face.</p><p>“What’s it to you?” he replied. “I can like whoever I want. I don’t have to answer to you, Frankie. You don’t own me. I don’t owe you an explanation for the girls I decide to mess around with.” Alfred rolled his eyes and shut his locker. “Stop acting like I’m your property or whatever. It’s annoying.” He pushed past her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to track down Lilli Zwingli. I’m supposed to be giving her a ride home today.”</p><p>“Are you going to fuck her, too?” the cheerleader bitterly asked, glaring at him.</p><p>“Whether I did or not would be my business, wouldn’t it?” he replied. “I don’t see how or why it would ever concern you.” He began to walk away and stopped, refusing to turn around to address her. “By the way, I don’t appreciate you talking to me out of jealousy. In fact, I don’t appreciate you talking to me at all. Leave me alone.”</p><p>Francine clenched her fists as she watched him walk away, seething with anger and jealousy. Just who did he think he was? He was going to regret those words!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Leon anxiously tapped his pencil against his binder, counting down the seconds on the clock as the school day drew to a close. He couldn’t wait to get back home and return to checking out Emil’s social media timelines, eager to see if there are new posts and to look back over the older ones.</p><p>The bell went off, signaling the end of the school day and he nearly jumped out of his desk. Though he knew full well that Chun-Yan wouldn’t be there for about ten minutes, he still bolted out of his classroom and to his usual part of the middle school yard to wait for his sister. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he brought up his social media profile and typed Emil’s username into the search bar.</p><p>Glad that he wasn’t exactly popular, Leon was able to scroll through Emil’s social media in peace. Nothing had changed from the night before, but it was nice to see his posts still. He scrolled down to his favorite ones, glancing up every now and then for Chun-Yan’s car. Once he saw it coming into the U-drive to pick him up, he quickly closed out of his account and rushed off to her car.</p><p>“When are you coming home, Chun?” he asked once they were on the road. “The house feels different when you’re not there.”</p><p>“That’s a question for Dad,” she replied with a sigh. “You know that I can’t come back until he says I can. But I wouldn’t ask him if I were you. It’ll just piss him off.” She exchanged a glance with Ivan, who was sitting in the  passenger’s seat. “Until then, you know where to find me, bud. It’s safer this way.”</p><p>Leon knew what she meant, but he hated acknowledging the fact that her being home when their father didn’t want her there put her in danger. He wished their lives could go back to the way they were when their mother was still there, but to ask for that was to ask for a miracle. At this point, he doubted that miracles were even real.</p><p>Ivan shifted uncomfortably in his seat at Chun-Yan’s words, making Leon wonder just how much he knew. If Ivan knew about all of the abuse their father put his sister through, was there a chance that he would report it one day? ‘No,’ he told himself, ‘Ivan would never do that to us. He knows that if he does, he’ll never see Chun-Yan again. He’s smarter than that. Right?’ But still, part of him couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he did report it. Would his father be locked up, or would he only be let out with a slap on the wrist and actually kill his sister when he got home? Even Ivan knew about the consequences, right?</p><p>“Dad will contact me soon enough, Leon, don’t worry,” she said, meeting his eyes through the rearview mirror. “And when he does, I’ll come home. Until then, just remember that I’m safe and nothing bad can happen to me. After all, Ivan wouldn’t let anything happen. I’d trust him with my life.”</p><p>“I know,” Leon replied, fiddling with his school binder. “I just worry about you when you’re not around. Isn’t that normal for a younger brother?” Something unsettled him about Ivan, ever since the incident two years before, but if his sister trusted him then he had no choice but to as well. “Maybe it’s not the same for you, but sometimes it feels like you’re my only family I have left.”</p><p>“Oh, Leon, I understand what you mean,” she told him, a frown offsetting her pretty face. “I miss you too. Don’t worry, it won’t be much longer. Dad can’t be mad about rumors forever. Besides, we both know I’m the only one who does the cooking and cleaning at home. He’ll get tired of the mess and takeout before too long. You know he always does.”</p><p>Her younger brother was honestly surprised that she was talking so casually about their home life problems in front of Ivan. Though he was sure that he knew everything that went on in their house, it still felt strange to talk about it in front of his sister’s friend. It wasn’t that the words were sacred or super secretive, but it made him realize just how much she trusted the boy sitting next to her.</p><p>They pulled into the driveway of Wangs’ house and she turned around to actually look at him. “I’ll be home before you know it, Leon,” she told him, reaching back and grabbing his hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Just try to focus on something else while you wait, okay?”</p><p>“Got it,” he replied, getting out and shutting the door. He waved goodbye until she was gone before going inside and hopping on his computer. Oh, he was definitely going to focus on something else, alright. And that something else was Emil Steilsson.</p><p>.</p><p>“Are you sure it was okay to talk so openly about what goes on in your house with me present?” Ivan asked, biting his lip with worry. “I mean, we both know that I know what goes on there, but how much does Leon know I know?”</p><p>Chun-Yan dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “It’s fine, Ivan. If you ask me, I honestly think it makes him feel better to know that I have a confidante. It makes him worry less. Besides, he knows you wouldn’t tell anyone about what I tell you.” She smiled over at her best friend. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’ll all be fine.”</p><p>His big, violet eyes stared out the passenger’s side window. “If you say so, Chun,” he sighed. He didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if her father found out he knew everything. Even if she didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, Ivan knew that she made downplaying serious issues into an art form.</p><p>“You’re worried,” she stated, reading his body language as she drove. “Don’t worry, Ivan. Nothing is going to happen. My dad won’t find out about you knowing. And even if he knew that you know, it’s not like it’ll change anything. He can’t just go back in time and undo what he did, you know?”</p><p>“But what would he do to you if he knew that I know?”</p><p>Chun-Yan thought for a moment. “Nothing he hasn’t already done,” she stated as if the abuse she received from her father was no big deal. “Seriously, it’s fine, Ivan. I don’t see what you and Leon are so worked up about. It’s not like he’ll come after either of you. I can handle him. I always do.”</p><p>Ivan tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat. “And what will happen on the day when you can’t?” he quietly asked. “What if one of these days your dad actually kills you? What am I supposed to do then? How am I supposed to go on knowing that my best friend isn’t here anymore? Please try to think of how all of this will affect the people around you before you try to pass it off like it’s not a big deal.”</p><p>She frowned, pulling into his driveway before parking her car and turning it off. “I’m sorry, Ivan. I guess I can be pretty insensitive when it comes to that kind of stuff, huh? I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that I don’t really think of myself and my life as that big of a deal.” Chun-Yan took a deep breath. “You know, I should start to work more on my wording.”</p><p>“That and your self-worth,” he commented. “Losing you would destroy me, Chun.”</p><p>Her hand reached out and ruffled his hair as she smiled warmly at him. “You wouldn’t be the only one destroyed by the loss of their best friend.”</p><p>.</p><p>“Ivan,” Chun-Yan whispered that night as she laid in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. “Are you still awake?” She turned her head a little to look over at the lump of blankets beside her. “I can’t sleep.”</p><p>He rolled onto his back to stare up the ceiling with her. “Neither can I,” Ivan admitted before glancing at her. “What do you want to talk about, Chun?”</p><p>“Do you really think that one of these days I’ll be free from my dad?” she softly asked, staring over at him with wide eyes. “Like, actually be free and never have to worry about him ever speaking to me or hitting me again?” She turned her head to gaze up at his ceiling. “I find myself wondering about that all the time. It feels as if I’ll never escape from him. Though I try to tell myself that I will, the end just seems too far out of reach to be real.”</p><p>“In the end, don’t you think it’s up to you to believe in yourself and your freedom? After all, in a way it depends on you. If you believe that you’ll never escape him, then that will turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. But if you genuinely believe that you’ll be free from him one day, then your chances look pretty good.” Ivan rolled over to face her. “Do you get what I mean by that?”</p><p>Chun-Yan rolled over to look at him. “Yeah, that makes sense,” she admitted. “I’m sorry that I’m being such a downer, Ivan. You’re the only person that I can be real with. When it comes to everyone else, I have to be the happy-go-lucky Chun-Yan that they all think I am, or else they’ll start getting suspicious and asking questions that I don’t think I’ll be able to handle. It sucks that half the time this is the only part of me that you see, though.”</p><p>“I don’t really mind it,” he told her. “After all, it’s almost as if this is a side specifically for me in a way. It makes me feel special to know that I’m one of the only people you can talk to like this. Don’t ever feel like you need to apologize for it. I like having the real Chun-Yan around me. Putting on a face for others is exhausting anyway. It’s okay that you’re not always happy. I don’t believe anyone is. What matters is what you do with your sadness. Will you let it drown and consume you, or will you grow from it? The choice is yours in the end; I can’t help you make it. But since this is you we’re talking about, I know it’ll be the right one.”</p><p>“How can you be so sure?” she asked, voice sounding just as small as she felt.</p><p>“Because it’s you.”</p><p>Chun-Yan felt the corners of her mouth pull into a smile. “Thanks, Ivan. I feel more at peace with the way my life is now. Maybe I can finally get some sleep.” She yawned, closing her eyes. “Goodnight, Ivan. Thanks for talking to me.”</p><p>And even after she had fallen asleep, Ivan laid awake beside her, trying to think of ways to get her and Leon out of that house forever.</p><p>.</p><p>Ivan watched as his mother fell to the floor, a small puddle of crimson pooling around her. The corner of the tabletop where she had hit her head had blood dripping from it. He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and tune it all out, but he couldn’t will himself to look away. His heart pounded in his ears as his stomach sank.</p><p>His body began to move on its own as his vision went black. Something was wrong. Everything was hazy. He couldn’t remember much of what his body was doing, just that it remained in motion.</p><p>Once he finally came to, his wrists felt cold. He looked down at them to see a pair of metal handcuffs on them as he sat in a questioning room at a police station. Ivan didn’t understand what he was doing there. The officers sitting across from him were throwing around big words that made him nervous until they noticed that he was staring at them.<br/>“You ready to talk, kid?” one of them asked him, rapping his knuckles on the table.</p><p>“Where am I?” he asked, voice sounding much more fragile than normal. “What’s going on? Where’s my mom?! Is she okay?!”</p><p>“Your mom’s fine,” the officer replied. “She’s recovering in the hospital from that head injury. Mind telling me how she got it?”</p><p>Ivan bit his lip, uncertain of how much he should tell the police. His father had always told him that they only make matters worse. Then again, if he told them that his father had done it, would he finally be locked up for good? Or would he just come back home after a few months and beat them even worse?</p><p>“Come on, kid, you can tell us,” the other officer coaxed. “It’s not like your father will ever find out what you said. Was it him?”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Ivan asked.</p><p>“Your old man’s dead, kid.”</p><p>Dead. Just the thought of it brought a small bubble of joy to his chest, but he wondered if it really was too good to be true. Was his father really dead, or were they just saying that? And if he was dead, who killed him?</p><p>“He’s dead?”</p><p>“We want the truth of what happened to him, starting with who hurt your mom.”</p><p>“He’s the one who hurt her,” Ivan slowly said. “I remembered her falling and all of the blood, but I can’t remember anything else.” He hung his head in shame, hoping he hadn’t let them down on some sort of lead.</p><p>“So you don’t remember stabbing him?” the officer asked.</p><p>Ivan’s blood suddenly ran cold. “Stabbing who?”</p><p>“Your father, kid. You’re the one who killed him.”</p><p>.</p><p>Ivan bolted upright in bed in a cold sweat. He gasped for air as he placed a hand over his racing heart. How had that just come back to his head? He had spent the last two years trying to forget, so why was it coming back now?</p><p>Once he felt under control, he looked over at Chun-Yan sleeping peacefully beside him. A pang of jealousy stabbed into his heart as he wished he could sleep as soundly as her, but the nightmares of that horrible day always haunted him. Then again, having her beside him when he woke from them always gave him a special peace of mind that he couldn’t find anywhere else. He smiled over at her and crawled out of bed to take a shower.</p><p>The sun still wasn’t showing any signs of rising as he sat in his living room, reading a book. He didn’t want to wake Chun-Yan, and he knew his mother would be getting home from work at any minute. Sometimes he liked to greet her, especially on nights when he had one of his nightmares. It always calmed his soul to see that Anya was alive and well. Though he didn’t remember what he had done to his father, all he had come to realize was that he did it to save his mother. That alone gave him a sense that in a twisted way, he had done the right thing.</p><p>Anya Braginsky heaved a tired sigh as she walked through the front door. She smiled when she saw her son reading in his usual corner. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asked, walking over to him and kissing the top of his head.</p><p>“Not tonight,” he confirmed, noting the page number he was on and closing his book. “How was work? Would you like me to make you some tea or anything?”</p><p>“No thank you, darling,” his mother replied, sitting down on the couch. “Thank you for offering, though. Work was work, about as normal as one would expect. Is Chun still here?”</p><p>“Yeah, she’s sleeping still,” Ivan answered, setting the book on the side table. “I had that nightmare again. The one where the officers told me what happened two years ago.” He bit his lip. “You don’t hate me for what happened, do you?”</p><p>Anya jumped up and hugged her son, cradling his head to her chest. “Hate you? Don’t be silly. You saved me. I could never hate you for being the sole reason that I’m still alive today. You have nothing to worry about, Ivan. You’re my precious son and I will love you until the end of my days.”</p><p>Reassured, Ivan hugged his mother back. The peace she had given him made him feel as if he may possibly be able to get a couple more hours of sleep in before he needed to get up for school.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Having gone back to bed, Ivan woke to Chun-Yan smiling proudly at him. “W-What’s going on?” he sleepily asked before yawning. He had never seen that expression on her face so early in the morning. What could she be so happy about this early?</p><p> </p><p>“Ivan, you finally slept until morning!” she excitedly said, sitting upright in the bed. “How could I not be proud of you for that? I hope that this can become a new thing!”</p><p>He didn’t want to tell her that he got up in the middle of night and only slept after talking to his mother. It would be too cruel to burst her bubble in such a way so early in the morning. Instead, he smiled back. “Yeah, here’s hoping,” he laughed, trying not to make it seem forced. Ivan sat up as well, smiling at her. “I do feel refreshed this morning, though.”</p><p>Chun-Yan stretched her arms above her head, smiling. “That’s great to hear! We should see it as good luck!” She got out of the bed and grabbed her school uniform. “I’m gonna go get ready for school. You should probably get started as well.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure thing,” he replied, waving her from the room. Once she was gone, he flopped back down onto his bed. “Why am I lying to her?” he muttered to himself. Was it because she looked so happy to see that he had slept? His sleeping patterns weren’t exactly a secret to her by that point. He felt his heart sink in his chest at the idea of lying to her about something so simple. She didn’t deserve that.</p><p>.</p><p>Chun-Yan smiled at Arthur Kirkland as she walked into his classroom. “Hey, Mr. K! What are we learning today?” She sat down at her desk and placed her bag beside it. “If you have a report planned, can we please save it for another time? I’m not feeling the best.”</p><p>“You think I’d cancel an assignment for the entire class just to accommodate you?” he joked, ruffling her hair. “That would be quite irresponsible of me, wouldn’t it? Are you looking to get me fired, miss?” Arthur walked up to the chalkboard and wrote the assignment on the board, a one thousand word book report on the novel they had been assigned to read for class. He smirked as he turned around and looked her in the eye. “But I can take off five hundred words since you’re unwell. One thousand is the lowest I am willing to go, though. Just because you’re my star pupil doesn’t mean everyone else is. I want to see them work for better grades.”</p><p>She smiled brightly at him. “Thanks, Mr. K. I really appreciate it!” The girl pulled out her notebook and began to work on the report before the rest of the class arrived.</p><p>Her classmates muttered about her as they walked in, pointing out how she was already partly done with the assignment, but she tuned them out. She had grown far too used to the “Overachieving Asian” stereotype that had always loomed around her. It no longer bothered her, yet she wished that her classmates would just stop sometimes. They always came to her for her notes or to ask questions for assignments, yet they never wanted to do the actual work themselves, coaxing answer after answer out of the poor girl.</p><p>Gilbert Beilschmidt sat down in the empty desk next to Chun-Yan and smiled at her. “Looks like you were early to class, Chun. Good on you.” His crimson pupils took in the beauty of the girl beside him as she worked diligently on her assignment. “Ignore everyone else. They’re just jealous because you have a good work ethic while they sit on their asses and talk shit about trivial things.” He leaned in a little closer. “There is something I’ve been curious about that I only wanted to talk to you about. A little birdie told me that you’re dating Al Jones. Is that true?”</p><p>“Would your little birdie like to meet a taxidermist, Gil?” she calmly asked, focused on her paper. Her hand abruptly stopped moving. “I happen to know one, and would love to arrange a meeting if you wish.” Chun-Yan’s lips stretched into a menacing smile, a facial expression that Ivan had spent many hours teaching her. “I thought my business was my own. So what if I am? Are you butthurt over it?”</p><p>“Easy, tiger, put your claws away,” the boy replied. “I just wanted a confirmation is all. I’m not the one out there spreading the rumors. I’m just making sure you’re aware of what’s being said about you.”</p><p>“But since when have I cared what people say about me?” she asked, hand resuming writing once again. “I don’t give a damn about the opinions of others. Now, if they’re saying I did some illegal shit and it gets to the authorities, then I’ll care. But if it’s just useless gossip like this, why pay attention to it? Who cares about who’s dating whom anyway?”</p><p>“I can think of a few people. Your cheerleader friends care that Al is off the market, and all of the dudes that have had crushes on you since grade school care too. Especially Ivan.”</p><p>“Then that’s their problem, not mine.” Chun-Yan side-eyed Gilbert. “What I think you should care about is your grades. I’ve heard what they’re like.”</p><p>“So you do listen to the rumors!”</p><p>.</p><p>Alfred leaned against Chun-Yan’s locker at the start of their lunch break, sighing. “How long do you think we need to keep this up? It’s so tiring, and it’s such a pain. Who cares what people say?”</p><p>“Don’t you want to be left alone too?” she asked, looking up at him. “This is the best way. Just bear with it for a little bit longer, okay? Just until the gossip dies down. Then you don’t have to hang around me at breaks.”</p><p>Making their dating look more official, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Look, Chun, it’s not like I see it as a chore. It’s just that I feel this is cruel to the person you really like. Ivan won’t come around as long as I’m right beside you. Are you avoiding him?”</p><p>Her eyes widened in shock. “No, of course not! I would never!” She leaned in closer. “Is that really how it seems? Do you think I should go and apologize? God, I’m such a bitch.”</p><p>“Wait, no! No you’re not! Perhaps it only seemed that way to me,” he quickly stated, backpedaling the conversation. “I was honestly just curious, you know? Just wanted to make sure nothing bad happened.”</p><p>“Yeah? Well how’s your unrequited love going? Perhaps you should worry about that instead of me,” she said with a wink.</p><p>“You’re a cruel woman, Wang,” Alfred sighed. “I can see why Ivan loves you so much.”</p><p>Chun-Yan immediately blushed. “No way, Al. He just thinks of me as a sister. There’s no way he’ll ever fall in love with me. Ivan doesn’t think that way about anyone, and I’m the only person who’s there for him. Even if the entire world went ass-backwards, it would be impossible for him to love me in that way.”</p><p>“Don’t be so harsh to yourself,” Alfred said, pulling her into a hug. “I believe that one day he’ll wake up next to you in his bed and realize that he’s crazy about you.”</p><p>“How did you know I sleep with him in his bed?” she squeaked, blushing a deep crimson. Chun-Yan quickly hid her face in his chest. “Is something like that really that obvious? Ah, shit. What should I do?”</p><p>“I was just giving an example, but shit. If you’re already sleeping with him in his bed then good on you, girl.” The blond laughed and adjusted his glasses. “Honestly, that’s pretty impressive.”</p><p>“We’ve always shared a bed since our first sleepover back in first grade,” she grumbled. “I just feel safe when I’m with him. It’s as if having him around will scare away anything or anyone who comes near me. Ivan has never given up on me or yelled at me out of anger. He’s never raised a hand to me. Honestly, he’s the most gentle person I’ve met in my life. Who cares what happened a few years ago? His dad sucked. I would always stay over at his house to keep him and his mom safe.” She frowned. “If I’m honest, I wanted that man dead, too. He almost killed Mama Anya, and I don’t think I could have ever forgiven such a heartless bastard if he had. If protecting the people that you love from a threat makes you evil, then I’d hate to be righteous.”</p><p>“I’d never heard the truth about that incident, if I’m honest,” Alfred admitted. “All I heard was that he killed his dad back in middle school and had to go away for awhile. That’s all that was really said about it.”</p><p>“There’s so much more to it than that,” Chun-Yan sighed. “I wish people wouldn’t spread rumors about him without knowing the full story. As a kid, he always showed up to school with bruises all over his body. We all knew it was his dad because of how skittish his mom was. But since he never said anything, nothing was really done. That’s the world we live in. And one night, he came home and discovered his dad beating on his mom, but she was unconscious. It was all over in a matter of moments, but I will honestly say that I don’t blame him. He did what needed to be done, and I’ll defend him until my last breath.”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to get you so fired up and angry like that,” Alfred stated. “Here, let me get you something in the cafeteria. It’s my fault anyway. What do you like?”</p><p>She quickly perked back up, having made her point clear. “I like ice cream. Will you buy some for me, honey?”</p><p>“Anything for you, Panda Bear.”</p><p>Chun-Yan let his pet name slide, clinging to his arm to make sure he bought the right flavor.</p><p>.</p><p>After school, Ivan stood next to Chun-Yan’s car, waiting patiently for her to arrive. He smiled as he saw her approaching with a vanilla ice cream cone in hand. In his eyes, it was always worth waiting for her because she always had a good time at school compared to home. It made him happy to see the genuine smile on her face as she said goodbye to her friends.</p><p>“Want some, Ivey?” she asked, holding the cone out to him. Chun-Yan giggled as he accepted it and unlocked her car for them to get in. “It’s your favorite!”</p><p>“Don’t you like mint ice cream?” he asked, sitting in the passenger’s seat and buckling his seat belt.</p><p>“I do, but so does Leon. And like hell I’ll share my ice cream with my little brother while taking him home from school,” she grumbled, buckling up and starting her car. “Cone me.”</p><p>Ivan held the cone within licking distance of her. “You’re so fucking weird sometimes, Chun,” he laughed. But that was what he loved most about his best friend. No matter what, she always remained true to herself and kept it real. There was no one else he’d want for a best friend other than her.</p><p>Chun-Yan took a lick from it and waved it away as she pulled out of the student parking lot. “Thanks, broski.” She turned onto the road to the middle school. “Leon better be waiting for us, because I’ve got homework out the ass that I want to get done before our show airs tonight.” With a sigh, she whisked her bangs out of her eyes. “You know, why do teachers do that to us? It’s like they know we’re looking forward to something and then just smash it out of existence! Like, what good does that do for anyone?”</p><p>Ivan listened to her rantings and ravings as he licked at the ice cream cone. Though she was obviously annoyed, there was nothing he wanted to listen to more. After all, to him, her problems were the only ones that truly mattered.</p><p>.</p><p>Leon sifted through his music library, trying to find something good to listen to while waiting for his sister. He finally settled on a song and let the rhythm flow through him. This was his zone, his paradise. Nothing else could ever give him such peace. Not unless Emil were there to listen to it with him.</p><p>Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Leon quickly turned around, pausing his music. Expecting one of his annoying classmates, he turned and found Emil standing near him with a sheepish expression.</p><p>“Uh, hey,” Emil offered, blushing. “I know we haven’t really talked much, but I heard your music while walking by and I wanted to say that you have really good taste. That’s one of my favorite bands and I’m really glad to know that someone other than me listens to them.”</p><p>“Would you like to listen with me?” the Asian boy asked, taking an earbud out of his ear and offering it to him.</p><p>“Ah, no thanks,” the other boy replied, pointing toward the carpool lane. “My brother’s here to pick me up. Maybe another time? I’d love to discuss their music with you!” He waved, smiling at his companion. “See you tomorrow, Leon!”</p><p>“He knows my name,” Leon whispered to himself once Emil had ran off to his brother’s car. “Holy shit!” He checked the song that he was listening to and smiled. It was his favorite song by the band that he had discovered through Emil’s social media posts. He had to admit they made good music and that he wasn’t just listening because he was crazy about the boy in his class.</p><p>From the carpool lane, he heard honking, complete with his sister waving frantically for him. Leon quickly shoved the earbud back into his ear and his phone in his pocket before stalking off toward her car. How he wished she wouldn’t embarrass him like that at school!</p><p>At least he was thankful that Emil didn’t see it. He’d be done for if that were the case. But for now he supposed he could accept his crazy sister and her antics. Once he was in high school with her, there was no possible way.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>